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March 15, 1927.

R. TANNER PROPELLING MEANS Original Filed July 1'7. 1924 I/vvnvrag Roz TA/wvgn. 3x1 Man;-

Reissued Mar. 15, 1927.

, UNITED STATES v Re. 16,573 PATENT orrlcs.

non runs, or amen, on ro.

PROPELLIHG MEANS.

Original No. 1,523,871, dated January 20, 1825, Serial No. 726,557, fled July 17, 1924. Application for reissue Med December 81, 1826. Serial No. 158,348. a

This invention relates to propelling means for aircraft and aims to provide a novel means whereby a propeller at theforward end of a machine and 'a propeller at the rear end of the machine may be simultaneously operated to move the craft in a given direction, the pitches of the blades of the propellers being such as to produce an equal amount of torque to the body portion of the machine, thereby'stabilizing the machine.

Another important object of my invention is to direct the power to the propellers in such a way that the propellers will adjust themselves to give an equal thrust when in operation.

A further object of my invention is to construct ropellin mechanism for aircraft and the li e, where y a propeller at the forward end of the aircraft body and a propeller at the rear end of the body may be simultaneously operated to move the craft in a given direction.

A further object of my invention is to provide air craft propelling means wherein ing employed for transmitting power propeller shafts extend forwardly and rearwardly of the supporting frame in substantially parallel lanes, sald shafts being connected to be driven in opposite directions from the power being transmitted to the propellers in such a way that the propellers will automatically adjust themselves to give an e ual thrust when in operation.

W1th.the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description roceeds, the invention resides in the comhination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understoodthat changes in the recise embodiment of the invention herein isclosed ma be made within the scope of what is claime without departin from the spirit of the invention.

eferrin to the drawing:

Fig. 1 ustrates a side elevational view of an aircraft supplied with propelling means constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of gearrom the ower shaft to one of the propeller shafts. 1g. 3 is a side elevational view of the power transmitting mechanism, showing the propeller shafts in position.

Referrin to the drawing in detail, the

reference aracter 5 designates the supinto motion. 1

porting frame or fuselage of an aircraft and 6 designates the power. plant of the machine.

The forward propeller 7 is mounted on the forward extremity of the propeller shaft 8 which extends lon 'tudinally and substantially centrally of t e fuselage 5. The shaft 8 carries a pinion 9 on its inner end, meshing with the pinion 10, which pinions are rotatably mounted in the gear housing 11. The pinion shaft 12 which carries the pinion 10, also carries a beveled gear 13 which meshes with the beveled pinions 14 rotatably mounted upon the several spokes 17 of the spider 15, there being provided a supporting ring ar 16 into which the spokes 17 of the splderextend; w

The ring 16 is provided with teeth on its outer periphery over which the chain 19 operates, the chain also operating over a inion 20 carried atone end of the crank s aft 21 of the power plant 6 so that rotation of the crank shaft will result in a relative movement of the spider to rotate the pinions associated therewith. The rear propeller shaft is indicated at 22 and extends rearwardly in a plane substantially parallel to that of the forward propeller shaft and substantially centrally within the fuselage 5. A propeller 23 is mounted on the outer end of the propeller shaft 22, the pitch of the blades of the ropeller 28 being the reverse of the pitch of t e blades of the propeller-'7, so that as the propellers are rotating in opposite directions,

oth propellers will act to move the machine in a common direction.

It will be noted from the present illustrated embodiment of my invention that the forward propeller shaft 8 and the rearward propeller shaft 22 extend longitudinally of and within the fuselage 5, the said shafts being arran ed so that their lon itudinal axes are slig tly offset or out of i ent with respect to each other, at are disposed in substantially parallel p anes. Mounted on the inner end of the propeller shaft 22 is a beveled pinion 24 which meshes with the beveled pinions 14:, whereby power may also that due to the oppositely pitched propellers 7 and 23 and to the directions of rotation of the respective propeller shafts, the combined thrust'of the propellers will move the air craft forwardly w en the power plant is put From the foregoing, it also will be obvious that the ropeller at the rear of the machine and which operates under less resistance than the forward propeller, would normally tend to operate at a greater speed, but due to the manner of transmitting the power to the shafts 8 and 22, the speeds of the respective propellers will be automatically ad usted to give equal thrusts, regardless of the rate at which the power plant is running.

While I have shown and described propelling mechanism for use in connection with aircraft, it is to be understood that the b invention may be efliciently employed for use in connection with other motor vehicles including water craft without departing from the s irit of my invention or the scope of the sub oined claims.

What is claimed is 1. In an airship, the combination with a supporting frame and a motor, of a forward propeller shaft, and a rearward pnaligned propeller shaft, motor driven differential gearing connectingi said shafts, said shafts extending longitu inally and substantially centrally of the supporting frame,=a.nd propellers on the free ends of said shafts.

2. In an airship, the combination with a supporting frame and a motor, of a forward propeller shaft, 9, rearward unaligned propeller shaft. motor driven difl'erentlal armg connecting said shafts, and prope lers on the free ends of said shafts.

3. In an airship, the combination with a supporting frame and a motor, of a forward propeller shaft, a rearward unaligned propeller shaft, motor driven differential gearmg oonnectin said shafts, and propellers on the free en s of said shafts, the bladesof said propellers being pitched in opposite directions.

4. In an airship, the combination with a supporting frame and a motor, of a forward pro eller sha and a rearward propeller sha motor driven difl'erential gearing con-.

necting said shafts, said shafts extendin longitudinally and substantially centrally of the supporting frame, and propellers on the free en s of said shafts, the blades of said propellers being pitched in opposite directions.

5. In an airship, the combination with a supporting frame and a motor, of a forward propeller shaft, and a rearward unaligne propeller shaft, motor driven dif- .ferential gearing connectin said shafts, said shafts extendin stantially can and pro Hers on the free ends of sai Shafts, pitched in opposite directions.

6. In an aeroplane, a supporting frame, propeller shafts extending longitudinal] within the supporting frame, the longitudinal axes of sex shafts being arranged in olflong'itu inally and suby of the supporting frame e blades of said propellers being f set and to end relation, a motor carried by the supporting frame and gearin connecting the adjacent ends of said prope ler shafts with said motor whereby the rates of rotation of said shafts may be automatically adjusted to give an equal thrust to said supporting frame. V

7. In an aeroplane, a supporting frame propeller shafts extending longitudinally within the supporting frame, the longitudinal axes of Sald SlmftS being arranged in ofl'set end to end relation, a motor carried y the supporting frame, and gearin between adjacent ends of said propeller s afts and said motor, whereby the rates of rotation of said shafts may be automatically adjusted to give an equal thrust to said supporting frame, and whereby said shafts may be rotated in opposite directions.

8. In an aeroplane, a supporting frame, propeller shafts extending longitudinall within the supporting frame, the longitud1- frame, and w ereby said shafts may be ro-.

tated in opposite directions, said gearing including a driven pinion carryin ring in power transmitting relation with t e end of one of said propel r shafts.

9. A propelling mechanism for air-craft including a motor, a motor shaft, unaligned propeller shafts extending in substantially parallel planes and in opposite directions, pro ellers carried on said shafts, a gear carri on one end of one of said shafts, a beveled pinion carried on one end of the other of said shafts, and means intermediate the motor. and the geared ends of the re eller shafts for transmitting power to said said means includi a driven ring, pinions g carried and rotatab e with said ring, said pinions meshin with the beveled gear carried by one of t e propeller shafts, a pinion meshing with the gear on the end of said other propeller shaft, a shaft carrying said first named pinion, a beveled ear meshin with the pinions carried by t e ring an carried by said last named shaft for connecting the said ring in power transmitting relation with the other propeller shaft, and a chain for transmittln power from said power 1Elam; to drive said ri 10. an airship, the com ination with a supporting frame and a power plant, of a orward-propeller shaft, a rearward propelafts,

ler shaft, propellers on the free ends of said shafts, said shafts being arranged in offset end to end relation, and means responsive to the s cod and thrust of the respective propellers or driving the propellers.

11. In an airship, the combination with a peller shaft, propellers on the free ends of supporting frame and a motor, of a forward said shafts, and motor driven difierential propeller shaft, a rearward unaligned progearing connecting said shafts and rotating peller shaft, propellers on the free ends of said shafts in opposite directions, the respec- 5 said shafts, and motor driven differential tive blades of said propellers being oppo- 15 gearing connecting said shafts and rotating sitely fixed. said shafts in o posite directions. In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my 12. In an ai 1p, the combination with a signature this 19 day of January, 1927.

supporting frame and a motor, of a forward 7 propeller shaft, a rearward unaligned pro- ROE TANNER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Rei uaue Pntent N0. 16. 573. Granted March 15. 1927 to ROE TANNER.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as Viol lows: Page 3, l ine 16. claim 12. for the word "fixed" read "pi tched": and that the said Let ters Patent should be read wi th this correction therein that the same may cnnfnrm t0 the record of the case in the Patent Office. I

Signed and celled this 26th day of Apri l. A. D. 1927.

M. J. Moore, Seal. k Acting Commissioner of Patenta. 

